Government Accountability
Pennsylvania Needs Genuine Election Integrity Reform
Originally published by Broad + Liberty. Imagine that you are at the liquor store but forgot your ID. Don’t worry, your friend can sign an affidavit saying you’re over 21.
Read More: Pennsylvania Needs Genuine Election Integrity ReformThe state government is ultimately held accountable to the people through the electoral process—but that should not be the only line of defense against government overreach or waste. Taxpayers deserve a transparent government that works for them. Reforms are needed to reduce corruption and limit the scope of government to its constitutional authority. Additionally, reforms that ensure a transparent budgeting process, a fair electoral process, and a streamlined regulatory process should be pursued to increase the government’s integrity.
Government Accountability
CF Now: Opening Pennsylvania Government
View our newest video on YouTube, highlighting current efforts to create more government transparency in Pennsylvania. Here are some of the key resources on Open Government: CF Projects…
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Evaluation of Pennsylvania School District Websites
Our friends at the Sam Adams Alliance have reviewed websites from all 501 school districts in Pennsylvania on their Sunshine Review wiki. They found that there is a…
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Commonwealth Foundation Launches PennsylvaniaVotes.org
HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today announced the launch of PennsylvaniaVotes.org, the state’s first and only web site that provides—at no cost—a nonpartisan, layman’s description of every bill…
Press Release
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Pennsylvania budget shortfall more than expected
In our latest Pennsylvania Deficit Watch update, we take a look at the current state revenue shortfall, noting Governor Rendell’s revised estimate of a $1.6 Billion shorftall for…
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Another $1 million spent to defend lawmakers in “Bonusgate”
As new legislators are coming to Harrisburg to be sworn in, Brad Bumsted reports that the Pennsylvania Senate Republicans have spent $1 million in legal fees (despite the number…
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Would you pay $75 for bobblehead of Harrisburg mayor?
From the “News of the Weird” (that is the Patriot News local section) is the report that bobblehead’s of Harrisburg mayor Stephen Reed are being sold for $75 apiece…
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Less than 40 hours to help us meet our goal!
UPDATE from the Commonwealth Foundation12.30.08 $1,315 needed for “40in40” Challenge!With only 40 hours left in 2008, we are $1,315 shy of…
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Read More: Less than 40 hours to help us meet our goal!Government Accountability
Transparency and the Bailout
Transparency is a popular buzzword these days, but does the rhetoric reflect reality? John Stossel investigates the lack of transparency surrounding the bailout.
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Taxpayer Funded Lobbying and the Growth of Government
Americans for Prosperity has a new analysis of taxpayer-funded lobbying of the federal government. I don’t want to point out the obvious, but this taxpayer-funded lobbying is almost all…
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78-Group Coalition Demands Greater Bailout Transparency
The Commonwealth Foundation has joined 77 other organizations in calling for greater transparency for taxpayers in the numerous bailouts being handed out with little oversight. From the news release:…
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Open government should save taxpayers, not cost them
The Tribune Review has a scathing editorial about Governor Rendell’s decision to charge citizens for the cost of retrieving open records about the government. In contrast, consider Texas,…
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Transparency: Increase Government Efficiency for Free
The House Democratic Caucus has demonstrated fiscal responsibility by rejecting this year’s COLA’s. Maybe Dr. Stilp got through to them. But the bigger question is how much did Eachus…
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Cut Legislature First
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorializes that the first item to be cut from the budget should be the legislature’s budget, noting this is the source of funding for bonuses, no-work…
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We’re Number One! In Teacher Strikes…still
The Allegheny Institute, one of our sister think tanks, posted a brief about teacher strikes. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania maintains its reputation of being the “teacher strike capital” of the world.
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Read More: We’re Number One! In Teacher Strikes…stillGovernment Accountability
PA Lawmakers, Executives, Judges Get Pay Raise
Patriot News story on the 2.8% cost of living increase that Pennsylvania lawmakers will get beginning Dec. 1, and state judges and executive branch officials will get the raise…
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Open Records Are Not Optional
Editors of The Morning Call criticize Allentown mayor Ed Pawlowski for attempting to keep the cost of police contract negotiations secret despite the city’s home rule charter which specifically…
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Full-Time Legislators still not the norm
The National Council of State Legislatures has some new data on occupations of state legislators. Here in Pennsylvania, 77.5% reported their occupation as “full-time legislator” (even though PA…
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Prizes for bloggers, citizen activists, video producers, and more
Our friends at the Sam Adams Alliance have something called The Sammies awards (with cash prizes) to encourage bloggers and citizens to get involved in political action. Here…
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Free-market internship, jobs, and grant opportunities
Some good opportunities to earn money working for liberty for college students, recent graduates and young professionals, and young journalists to pass along:Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow…
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Shed a little light on your government
ShowMeTheSpending.com, a project of the National Taxpayers Union (with a coalition of groups) has relaunched as a wiki (like Wikipedia) as part of the Sunshine Review…
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Corruption and Potential for Reform in State Contracts
Chris Freind has a five part series in The Bulletin on conflicts of interest, corruption, and the inability to get reforms passed in how state contracts are awarded. The…
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